As Predicted
by emyrina
Summary: Kuroko has a habit. Every time he manages to return his former teammates to their old selves, he turns a stuff animal resembling them around. Slow-moving plot.
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: Ayy, Lime here. I don't own Kuroko no Basket and that will apply to all chapters that are/will be posted in the future. **

******_0~0_ are lines, because my lines keep getting eaten up. There IS a plot. So things will be slow.  
**

**That's about it.**

** I hope you enjoy this story.**

**********_0~0_**

**_*RINGRING*_**

School had just ended and he quickly rose from his desk, having prepared his things 5 minutes earlier. He walked to his locker and sorted his things out, his mind on other things. After several minutes of shoving and grabbing, he thought he had everything he needed and headed out.

He reached a mob of people and silently infiltrated the bustling crowd, letting them push him forward to his destination. Which happened to be a single bulletin board. He scanned through the papers labeled "Basketball Club Evaluation Results" on it. He skipped the first paper with "First String" on it, because he knew that he couldn't possibly be on it. Instead, his eyes scanned through "Second String" for his name. His lips frowned in disappointment when it wasn't there. He gave a gentle sigh as he finally looked at the last paper with "Third String" on it, sure that his name would be on it, even though he believed his performance in the last evaluation better than all his performances before, him practicing extra hard for it. His frown deepened when he couldn't find his name. He then checked all the papers again, even the "First String" one because the coaches might have awarded him for his hard work, though that was extremely unlikely, them being the sadistic monsters they were.

His name just wasn't on any of the papers.

He looked around to see if anyone else was having his dilemma, searching through the crowd for confused faces. He saw was a bright red-headed girl standing near him with a faint smirk on her face. He saw a group of black-haired students patting a beaming brown-haired student on his back. He saw gray-haired student looking downcast. He saw a blonde one waving to someone cheerily. The one thing he didn't see was another being expressing confusion that matched his inner turmoil.

He could only hear static and couldn't make out anything except a faint, "Akashichi! I got in the second string!" due to its excessive volume.

He...he had to know why. He needed to find the coach and ask why. And that is precisely what he did, steps brisk and fast, shining with determination as he hunted him down.

******_0~0_**

The coach was in the gymnasium, surrounded by a group of teenage girls. And looking extremely pleased, at that.

_Pedophile._

He decided that he could wait until the girls left so he could talk to the coach alone. He promptly sat down after making that decision, and took out a novel that he had borrowed from the library just that morning. It was extremely dull and predictable, and he was easily distracted, though that he couldn't imagine being sucked into the book when he was in such turmoil. He tried though, and page by page was flipped faithfully, though its contents did not fully implant themselves in his head.

After awhile, he noticed the sound of retreating footsteps. He looked up from the novel to confirm that the coach was alone.

He was.

So he gently set his book aside and walked up to him.

"Excuse me."

"AHHHHHHH!" The coach screamed, "WHEN THE HELL WERE YOU HERE?"

He checked his watch. "Approximately 20 minutes," he replied in a monotone.

The coach stayed silent, shocked that he hadn't realized that Kuroko was there for such a long period of time.

"I came to talk about the evaluation results," Kuroko added. "My name wasn't listed."

"Ah, that," the coach perceived. "How should I say this?" he muttered to himself. He raised his voice so the teal haired boy could hear, though it was unnecessary because Kuroko could perfectly make out what he was saying.

"We...were wondering if you still wanted to be in the club. Its been a long time and you still haven't made any progress...so..."

Kuroko lowered his head and his bangs veiled his eyes from view. "You're kicking me out."

"Well...I wouldn't phrase it like that. It's more lik-"

"I understand."

The coach, having been interrupted, had his mouth open. He closed it and changed it to what he hoped was a gentle smile. "Good," he said and he left the gym.

Leaving Kuroko to mull over what had just transpired.

The phantom walked over to get his things and as he was walking out, saw his coach's retreating back.

"I understand perfectly," he whispered. "I need to prove that I'm worthy." His pale blue eyes hardened in resolve as he switched the direction of his feet to the third gymnasium instead of his home.

******_0~0_**

**A/N: Next will be Aomine time~ Other chapters will be longer. Please Review. :)**


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: haha, I lied. I was kinda busy so...here it is now :D **

* * *

"Oi, Tetsu," Aomine grunted while shooting a basketball at the basket.

_Swish_, the net whispered as the ball went straight in.

"Yes, Aomine-kun?" Kuroko answered, shooting one himself.

_Plop._ It bounced right off the rim.

"You alright? You've been kinda reckless…" he turned to face the invisible man and threw a towel at him.

"I am perfectly okay," the bluenette answered stiffly, catching the towel and bringing it up to wipe the sweat that had gathered.

"Ah, that's right," an epiphany suddenly hit the ganguro, "The evaluation results were posted today weren't they? How'd you do?"

Kuroko stayed silent and took a sip of his Pocari. Aomine wisely took the hint and avoided the topic. They began practicing again. They immersed themselves in their plays, and the typical comforting silence followed. The sound of bouncing balls resounded until it became dark.

As they were making their final shots, Kuroko spoke.

"Should I quit basketball?" he said in a wondering voice, as if talking to himself.

Aomine's eyes widened and the basketball he had just thrown flew wildly off target. As he went to get it, he carefully thought of what to say.

"Well. I can't be a judge on that can I? Personally, basketball is fun and makes me happy. That's all I need."

The teal head silently comprehended what he said. After a while, a small smile appeared on his face.

"Who knew Aomine-kun could be smart?"

"HEY!" he growled. "I won't forgive you, even if it's you, Tetsu." With those words, he started giving chase.

"No fair, I'm tired already," Kuroko complained with a perfectly blank face.

"Wha- I'm just as tired as you! We practiced for the same amount of time!"

Kuroko abruptly stopped and gave a long stare at the ganguro.

"You are an idiot after all." He started back to the bench to get his things, leaving the aho dumfounded.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He started after the phantom, muttering under his breath about how he wasn't stupid.

"You have higher stamina than me ,Aomine-kun, and you're more fit. I will see you tomorrow." He slipped his bag over his shoulder while explaining, then walked out without looking back. After a long pause, a faint, almost inaudible, "Thank you," sounded from the door.

Aomine's lips twitched. "Had me worried for nothing," he muttered under his breath, then exited the gym too.

* * *

After that day, Kuroko's practice increased vigorously and with renewed determination. His skills didn't improve much though and he became more irritable from soreness and lack of sleep. His average grades dropped due to sleeping in class and not having enough time or energy to study. Nonetheless, he continued, undaunted, simply because he loved basketball.

One day, he sent Aomine to get more Pocari Sweat because the ganguro had drunken it all _again_. While waiting, he rested on the bench, towel covering his head as he controlled his breathing. He heard footsteps getting closer and closer to the gym. Voices drifted through the door and even though he wasn't trying to eavesdrop, he heard every single word.

"-are better ways to use your pieces when in that situation. You made it too easy," a voice sharply invaded his silence.

"I am so sorry I disappointed you," another voice said sarcastically.

The first person ignored him and continued pointing out his mistakes. "It was a bad move to move your bishop at that part, your pawn would've been better. Just because the bishop can move further doesn't mean that its better."

"Oh? Then you think every piece is special?"

"In the right situations. Everything has a special skill; it merely depends on what is done with it."

Kuroko grew curious so he moved his hand to lift the towel from his face. He removed it in time to see a tuft of green hair before it moved out of his vision, pass the doorframe.

"And I did all the wrong things, apparently."

"The one time I play chess with you…" the first person muttered, and that was the last thing Kuroko heard before they moved out of hearing distance.

"Everything has a special skill, huh?" he thought to himself. "Mine would probably be my low presence, but that can't be incorporated into basketball…" He moved his hand to his face and stared at it. "…Or can it?"

He got up and headed to the library with his things to do research. Arriving at the library, he had no idea where to start, so he wandered around, scanning the bookshelves for anything that caught his eye. By chance, he knocked over a book titled, "_Magic Tricks_" while reaching/jumping for a book on a high shelf. Figuring that it couldn't hurt to give it a chance, he quickly scanned it and was about to close it and put it back on the shelf when he read a passage titled "Misdirection."

Intrigued, he read on and came to realize that it was exactly what he was looking for. He gathered a few books about misdirection and began reading one.

When he finished, it was growing dark, so he decided to check them out to read at home. A quick search of his bag for his library card made him realize that he had left a textbook in the gym, so he went there after checking out the books.

Aomine was still there.

"Aomine-kun is practicing hard today," he commented.

"GYAHHH! Stop doing that! And where'd you go?"

"The library," he responded. "Ah," he hit his palm with a fist in realization. "Since you're here, can I test something out?"

What Aomine really wanted to do was demand why the hell he went to the library, but seeing how his friend's eyes sparkled slightly in anticipation, he gave in.

"What are you trying to do?"

"You'll see," was the vague reply.

On the court, it took him a few minutes to realize that he had no idea where Kuroko was. And that he was fumbling a lot with the ball.

"Tetsu?" he said hesitantly.

No answer.

"Shit, he left again."

"I am right here, Aomine-kun."

It was all he could do to contain the shriek that arrived at his throat. What he managed to do was a strained half-whisper, "Then why didn't you say something?"

"I was concentrating." He paused as if pondering something, and then said, "Should we stop? You seem too tired to even handle the ball correctly."

The ace agreed and they both headed home. It was only later, when Kuroko revealed his skill in a team game that he realized that what the phantom had said was a joke.

It wasn't funny.

* * *

**A/N: I have mixed feelings about this. O-o This story is gonna take forever to write ;~; But I'm in love with it...**


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